Magic Closet Ride
by Waldojeffers
Summary: What happens when a very conservative, narrow-minded Council visits Cody Martin and Max Russo at their new home? The sequel to Love To The Max. Completed.
1. Preparations

**Ch****apter 1: Preparations

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**

"Max! Do you know where my journal is?"

"Journal? What journal, sweetie?" Max asks before he walks into my office. "I didn't know you had one."

"You know…the journal we unearthed before moving in here? Don't you remember reading it?"

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I do remember your journal. Isn't it somewhere among all these books?" my boyfriend says as he takes a peek into my library of law school textbooks.

"No, I already looked there. I think I really lost it," I exclaim in despair. "And I only just found it again when I was packing stuff last month!"

"I didn't know it was that important for you, Cody," Max tells me while he walks over to me and puts his arms around me as if he's trying to comfort me. "Maybe I should have bought you a new journal for birthday."

"Nah, it's okay, Max," I answer my boyfriend. Yesterday was my and my twin brother Zack's 23rd birthday, and we had a birthday/house-warming party here last night. "And by the way, the present you got me was way better than any journal ever could be," I add, knowing my eyes are twinkling.

"Heee, you're definitely right. I did give you a pretty nice present," my lover grins, clearly remembering what happened with his gift last night. "Too bad your parents stayed so long. If they hadn't I could have been able to hand out your gift earlier," he adds with another wink.

"Max!" I exclaim, trying to be mad at him for being so blatant. But when I turn around and look him in the eyes, I see he's showing me his puppy dog eyes again. The same puppy dog eyes I fell for years ago…and am still falling for it.

I sigh and lean in for a kiss with my Max.

But right when our lips are almost touching, Max's cellphone suddenly goes off. As soon as I hear his ringtone, I pull away from Max and jump up.

Max, on the other, doesn't seem to notice his ringtone or see me pulling away, because he's still leaning in for a passionate kiss with me. But since I'm not in the same spot as I was a few seconds ago, that kiss never happens.

Or it does happen…just not with me. Because as soon as Max's lips touch something, he starts making out…with my chair!

As funny as this is, I think I better stop Max from his kissing session with our piece of furniture. After all, his cellphone is still ringing and frankly I don't think my study chair can fully appreciate this gesture.

"Um, Maxie…I know we have very nice furniture, but don't you think making out with my chair is a bit too much?" I ask him, giving him a small tap on his shoulder.

Max finally realizes then that the object of his affection is not me, and immediately jumps away from the seat, his face growing redder at an incredibly fast pace.

"Man. I…I…I'm so stupid!" Max exclaims, while he grabs for the vibrating cellphone in his pants pocket.

"No, you're just funny, Maxie," I assure my boyfriend.

"Max Russo speaking…" he says into the phone. "Oh, hey, Dad!"

As soon as Max realizes that it's his dad calling, he motions to me he's going into another room to take this call. He always does that when his family calls his cellphone needing to discuss stuff concerning magic. Mainly he does this because he knows I'm just not that comfortable with his magic skills, even though I still remember many of the spells we used to study together back on the _S.S. Tipton_.

While I'm waiting for my man to return, I start up my computer. It's time for me to do some bookkeeping. I've always liked this doing at home for my mother, but I never imagined my own household would have such complex accounting needs —especially when my life partner is a wizard who brings in money magically. A complicated situation indeed! But hey, at least we never have to worry about money.

Of course that's the main reason why we're living in such a big expensive house. I've never been keen on using Max's magical money for anything major in our lives, seeing as how he's already paying my tuition for law school, but when I first saw our house a month ago, I fell in love with it instantly. So when Max bought it for us, I just couldn't object, and it does have a lot more space than our old apartment in downtown Boston.

"Cody…" I hear Max saying all of a sudden. I didn't even notice him returning, but now he's standing there at the door to my office, his face deathly pale.

"Max?! You're white as a ghost!" I hurry over to my guy to put my arms around him, ready to give him whatever comfort he needs. "Is something wrong? Is it your family?"

"No, that's not it. My dad just called to let me know that the Wizard Council is coming over for dinner."

"Oh no! Not again…" I sigh because I'm very much aware of what we have to go through to keep those homophobic bastards from taking away my Max's wizard powers.

"I know…I'm so sorry, Cody. I'm sorry I have to keep putting you through all of this," he says as he gives me a small kiss on the cheek.

"Don't be. It's not your fault that the stupid Wiz Council wants to control whom you should love. But our lives would be a whole lot easier if they weren't this judgmental."

"Yeah. But at least we're telling them off, aren't we, sweetie?"

"We are indeed, thanks to your brilliant plan!" I praise Max again. "I guess we better get moving. You said they're coming over for dinner, right?"

"Yeah, that's what Dad said. They'll be here around 6 PM. It seems they want to inspect our new house. Apparently that's a rule when a young wizard moves."

"Okay, that gives us enough time to prepare ourselves. I'll start on a gourmet meal for them. You can remove all evidence that points to us like you did last time." I delegate tasks between the two of us.

"Alright! And when I'm ready I'll transform you," Max answers and gives me a small peck.

"God…don't remind me!" I exclaim. "Come on, let's go!"

And so the both of us separate and go about own ways to make the house Cody-free before the Wizard Council arrives. While Max is magically making photos disappear in the living room, I head to the kitchen to do some magic of my own: cooking.

No, seriously…Max tells me all the time what a talented chef I am and how my cooking is more magical than anything he can do with his wand. Personally I think the real magic here is how much we love each other. But nevertheless, I have to concede that I am indeed a pretty good chef.

Of course I want to make something gourmet for our guests. A nice meal can go along way toward making a good impression and may even soften them a bit. Last time they were so impressed by my version of the famous 'Chicken Paolo' that they almost forgot to ask me any questions about my relationship with Max and my life in general. So yes, a good dinner is very important.

And that's why, this time, I'm making a Cody-version of the famous French dish 'Canard à l'Orange'. Actually it's the same meal I made for my parents and Zack when they came to visit us the first time in our new house. According to Zack, it was in fact one of the best dishes he had ever eaten. Honestly, I'll never get tired of people paying me such compliments!

People say time flies when you're having fun, and I guess it's true because before I know it, Max is in the kitchen, telling me it's time for the transformation. Luckily I've just finished cooking, so I don't have to do much more after I've been transformed. I really prefer cooking while I'm still my own person, to be honest.

I walk over to Max who is already holding the wand he inherited from his dad once be became the Family Wizard. He seems to be all set to perform the spell on me.

"Are you ready, Cody?" he asks.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for this, Maxie," I reply, looking at the floor. "Did you manage to remove everything?"

"Yep, no sign of Cody to be seen anywhere in our house."

"You did remember to hide the painting of us? The one in the living room?"

"The one Alex painted of the two of us at the beach? The one that's life-size? No, Cody, I forgot about that picture," he says in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. "Of course I remembered to make that one disappear, silly! Now come here, Cody, there's no need to be nervous. Everything is alright. We can do this, you can do this!"

"You're right. Just go for it," I reply while I close my eyes. I've seen much magic, but this I rather not see. I absolutely hate having to go through this. But I know I have to do this, for Max. No, for us! In fact, for every gay guy out there who's told he can't be with the one he loves because he's a guy. This is my way to protest against homophobia in the wizard world, and by extension the rest of the world.

And then Max waves his wand and utters magic words, "_Tonight must go smoothly as a pearl. Turn my lover into a girl_."

I hear a strange whooshing sound and feel like I'm being lifted up in the air. Bizarre things are happening within my body, as though I'm becoming someone else… And yes, it starts to hurt. Just what I was afraid of, after last time.

When I finally feel the floor under my feet again, I open my eyes to look at myself…to discover that I am indeed a female now. Even my clothes have been transformed. A few seconds ago I was wearing my casual sweater vest, dress shirt and jeans. Now all those have disappeared and are replaced by a teal-coloured Arturo Vitalli dress.

"It's over now?" I ask, noticing that my voice is now several some tones higher.

"Yah, you're the perfect girl now, Cody. You feel OK?"

"Not really, actually. You know this makes me feel uncomfortable. I definitely don't like being a girl."

"Don't worry, sweetie. You're way more attractive as a guy. I would never want you to be like this permanently," Max assures me as he puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks, I know. Still I don't like being a girl," I said honestly, while running my hands over the unfamiliar bumps and curves of my new body. "Women's bodies are so complicated."

"Heee! Cody, you really are so gay!" my lover smirks. "But you're right, I have to admit I feel less attracted to you right now, but you still make a pretty cute girl. I don't exactly want to kiss you, though."

"Gee, thanks," I answer, pretending to be angry at my boyfriend. "But seriously, Max. You have to be more affectionate with me now. Last time you were almost afraid to touch me. And now we're supposed to have been dating for a few years."

"I know…I almost screwed up being so freaked out by you as a girl. But don't worry, I can handle it tonight," Max assures me. "I know how much is depending on this. We will get through this, Cody. We will get through this together!"

"Come on, we…" I start, trying to invite Max for a practice kiss. But before I can finish my sentence we hear our doorbell.

It must be the Wizard Council already. Very polite of them to use the front door this time, since last time they just popped in on us, almost giving me a heart attack.

"Go on, Max. Open the door and bring them over to the dinner table. I'll go check the 'Canard' to see if it's ready," I instruct Max, then take off to the kitchen.

And yes, my almost famous dish is indeed almost ready for consumption. It should be in the oven for about 10 more minutes and than it will be ready to be served. I guess that gives us time to have an aperitif. And I wouldn't be Cody if I hadn't whipped up a special cocktail for the occasion.

"Honey, where are you?" I hear Max calling out to me from the dining room.

I quickly pick up my cocktail tray and walk over to where Max is standing with four people who are apparently from the Wizard Council.

As soon as I enter the room, Max grabs my arm and walks me over to the group. I don't recognize any of them from the previous visit.

There's a guy dressed all in black, a guy who looks very insecure and a very old man with a very long beard. A beard that looks very fake if you ask me, which is weird since he certainly seems old enough to have grown such a long beard; why would anyone bother using a fake beard? But when it comes to weirdness, the fourth wizard beats them all. His face wears a constant smile, almost like it's burnt onto his face. It actually reminds me a bit of Jack Nicholson as the Joker in the 1989 _Batman_ movie, directed by Tim Burton. Definitely strange company, these guys.

"Come, my love, I'll introduce you to everyone. This here is Professor Crumbs from WizTech," Max says, pointing to the old man.

"Next to him is Officer Lamp from the Emergency Wizards and Chancellor Tootietootie from the Wizard Education Department," he introduces the man in black and the insecure-looking guy.

"And this is Mr. Stuffleby, Wizard Guidance Counsellor," Max says, pointing to the Joker.

"And this here, gentlemen, is my girlfriend, Tyreesha Martin."

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_**Author's Note: **__First chapter of my second story! Inspired by a conversation on the forum here between tiger002 and Elianna22, this story is a story connected to my Love To The Max. So if you want to know how Cody and Max Russo became a couple, you should go and read it!_

_For this first chapter I like to thank Elianna22 for editing and proofreading this chapter. She also thought of the spell Max used to transform Cody into a girl._

_Also this story will be pretty short: most likely a threeshot. I hope you all liked it so far and will review this. It's always appreciated!_


	2. Dinner for Six

**Chapter 2: Dinner**** for Six

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**

"That was an amazing cocktail, Tyreesha," Max says as he gives me a peck on the cheek.

I think I can honestly say so far everything is going smoothly. Exactly as we planned.

We've already had a successful, uneventful welcome and aperitif. But the most important part of the evening is still to come: the main course, during which their questioning will undoubtedly be even more crucial. During the last Wizard Council visit, the cross-examination was nothing but pure torture for me. However, with tonight's careful preparations, I hope things will go more smoothly. And if not, the 'Canard' will have to soften them up.

So after Max's very small but sweet gesture, I hurry off to the kitchen, taking the cocktail tray back with me.

Too bad my Tyreesha outfit also includes high heels and I seem to be a real klutz in them. So naturally I almost trip when I get to the kitchen, nearly dropping the cocktail tray on the floor. Luckily, I grab for the door of the closet near the kitchen entrance, preventing an accident.

No, high heels are definitely not my kind of shoes. Another downside to being a woman. God, why am I doing all of this?

I know…for Max. For the one person in the whole world I love more than life itself, the one person I would do anything for. For him I am doing this!

Anyway, after this almost-disaster, I take a quick peek in the oven to check if the 'Canard' is ready to be served. And indeed, it's almost done, so I can start decorating the plates a bit.

As soon as the 'Canard' is fully roasted, I take it out of the oven and fill up seven plates. Six for all of us now and one extra as a treat for Max later tonight. I remember last time my lover was way too nervous to enjoy dinner, so this time I want to make sure he'll at least get to taste my delicious meal when they're gone.

Carefully I walk over to the table, carrying four plates with Canard à l'Orange _a la Cody_. First I serve Professor Crumbs and the guy with the creepy smile, then place the remaining two plates in front of our other guests.

Before I can return to the kitchen to get plates for Max and me, he stops me, holding our dishes in his hands.

"Oh Max, thanks for getting those for me," I exclaim, while I happily sit down at the table.

"It's nothing, honey. Anything for my beloved girl!"

"Oh, you are so sweet," I say, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. As I do this, I feel Max's body trembling again. He's obviously as anxious as I am to get this visit over with.

"Ahem."

At the sound of this cough, we both jump apart and turn to face the four wizards. The guy whom Max introduced as Chancellor Tootietootie has a notebook open in front of him, seemingly ready to jot down every little bit of information about us.

"Hmmm, thank you both for this lovely dinner," Professor Crumbs declares, getting up from the table. "Now, we'd like to ask you both a few questions during dinner. Especially you, Tyreesha. It is Tyreesha, isn't it?"

I simply nod.

"Good. Mr. Stuffleby, I suggest you start the questioning," he continues and motions to the Joker.

"So, Tyreesha, do you like Max?" Mr. Stuffleby launches into the interrogation.

"Of course I do! I really love him," I reply, wondering where he's going with this question.

"Good, I see here on your profile you already know about magic and wizards. Is that correct?"

I nod again.

"So you are aware of the rule forbidding wizards from marrying mortals?"

"Yes, Max and I have talked about this," I respond. "And we both agree that his magic is more important to us than getting married."

"That's good, very good indeed," he adds, approving.

Before he is able to pose another question, the old professor interrupts him. "If I may, Mr. Stuffleby?"

"Of course, go ahead, Professor," the grinning man answers as he indicates that I have to listen to the older man now.

"I'd like to hear from Tyreesha where she and Max Russo met. And how long they have been together," Professor Crumbs says, a probing look on his face.

I sigh a bit at this dreadful question. To be honest, we had expected this one, so we'd basically prepared ourselves for it to ensure our stories about our past would match. Nevertheless, I'm still nervous about answering: it could ruin everything.

"Um, I met Max about six years ago when he was studying on the _S.S. Tipton_," I start.

"Ah yes, during that time… We heard about Max's time on the ship," the Professor replies, almost piercing me with his eyes. He's really giving me the creeps right now. It's almost like he knows more.

"And you got together that year?" He continues grilling me.

"Not really, we started off as good friends there. But later on we got to know each other much better and fell for one another. Isn't that so, Max?" I ask, turning toward him, using my eyes to ask for another kiss − a 100 percent heterosexual kiss.

Max breathes out a bit and leans into me.

And of course just before our lips touch, we hear the doorbell again. Max immediately gets up and heads to the front door. This is getting ridiculous − practically every kiss today has been interrupted by someone or something. It's really starting to get on my nerves, to be honest.

While Max is outside presumably trying to get rid of our latest unexpected guest, I pick out a nice bottle of wine for the wizards. Tonight I'm going for a Merlot from the Bordeaux district, always one of my personal favourites and very complementary with duck, so I think our guests will like it, too. Not that I want to completely brag, but I can honestly say I'm a big wine connoisseur.

After I've filled their glasses, Max appears in the dining room again and since I'm convinced he has indeed gotten rid of whoever was at the door, I point to his seat at the table. But right before I can return my attention to our guests, I suddenly notice there is someone else standing next to Max: Zack…

Great! Of all people to drop by unannounced tonight, it just had to be my twin brother. While I'm a girl! What is he going to say when he sees his brother-in-law with a girl instead of with me? Damn, this is bad! How on earth will we ever able to explain this to him?

"Um, gentlemen, this is Zack, a very good friend," Max introduces my twin to the four wizards. "And um, he doesn't know about…um…about that thing."

The four Council members apparently understand right away what my boyfriend means by this. They all nod in a friendly manner at Zack, who returns the gesture until he spots Mr. Stuffleby. Of course, my brother keeps staring at his smile for awhile.

Until he lays eyes upon me. "And who might this lovely lady be?"

"Oh uh, that's Tyreesha, she's…" Max replies with only slight hesitation.

"…a very pretty girl," my older brother interjects with a wink. "I think I'm going to sit next to you, hot stuff."

Hot stuff? Did Zack just call me hot stuff? I must have misunderstood him.

"So, Tyreesha, why didn't I see you here last night?" Zack asks.

Damn! I didn't think about that – since "Tyreesha" lives here, she would have been at the birthday/house-warming party. I have to act quickly and think of an answer that will satisfy both Zack and the Wizard Council.

"I wasn't feeling that well yesterday," I improvise. "Because I had really bad cramps."

It looks like I found the right thing to say, because everybody at our table – even Max –shrugs uncomfortably. Typical women's stuff is definitely a subject every man, including myself, wants to avoid at all times.

"Yeah…okay…um, can I have some dinner too," my twin asks as he tries to change to subject.

"Yeah, I guess so. Do you want a glass of wine with it?" I ask, relieved that my "explanation" has covered my tracks.

"Actually, if it's all the same to you I'd rather have a beer," Zack responds with a small wink in my direction.

"Sure, wait a minute," I say and take off to the kitchen to prepare an eighth plate and a beer for my twin. So far having Zack here is not a problem, but I just know something will happen. After all, he doesn't know about our scheme − nor about Max being a wizard. I hope he's not going to be suspicious that I'm not here while a girl is…

Oh, who am I kidding? Zack is so going to think Max is cheating on me with…me! Or recognize me and blow our whole cover and make us lose everything!

No, relax, Cody! Relax… Zack hasn't said anything about me yet, or about a girl being here. So maybe it won't be a problem at all. Maybe I'm just overreacting.

I breathe in and out before I walk over to the dining table again, bringing Zack's dinner and beer with me.

"Thanks Tyreesha," my brother says while I serve him. "So tell me, did it hurt?"

"Hurt? What do you mean?"

"When you fell from heaven, did it hurt?"

I can't believe Zack is still using such lame and cheesy pick-up lines. Does he really think that crap works on girls? It's unbelievable my big brother actually got himself a girlfriend at all. He's such a… Wait a minute; he just used that line on me! My own twin brother is flirting with me!

"You really are gorgeous, you know that, Tyreesha?" he adds before I can say anything. Not that it would have mattered; I'm still dumbstruck as it is.

"Ahem, Zack?" Max tries to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing? Don't you have a girlfriend? Bailey?"

At the mention of Bailey, Zack averts his eyes and mumbles, "No, um, we kind of broke up."

"Really? That's too bad. What happened between you guys?" my lover asks, sounding concerned. To be honest, Zack and Bailey breaking up is news to me too. She was at the party with him last night, but come to think of it, they didn't spend that much time hanging out together. I should ask Zack about this later, when I'm back to normal.

"No offence, Max, but I'd rather not talk about that right now," Zack sighs. He turns back to me, looking me in the eyes, and says, "In fact I came here to talk to Cody, but I think you are a way better alternative, beautiful."

"What do you mean?" I ask again, trying to play innocent, trying not to notice that my twin brother appears to be attracted to the female me. This is so wrong, on so many levels!

"So 'reesha," my twin brother continues with another wink. "How 'bout taking a crack at the Zack tonight and going out on a date with me?"

At this I groan in frustration. My own brother is hitting on me − and the worst part is that I can't do anything about it! It's not like I can tell Zack it's me he's flirting with because that would give away our whole secret, destroying my life with Max in the process. I look at Max in despair, hoping that he can do something to help me out of this very disturbing situation.

But it seems Max is powerless to do anything. Obviously he can't tell Zack I'm his girlfriend. Knowing Zack, he would be immediately furious − he might even punch Max for cheating on me. And Max can't make just him leave, of course. After all it's considered very rude to hustle your brother-in-law − who also happens to be one of your best friends – out of your house. No, Max's hands are tied as well. Or at least I think that's what he's trying to tell me by making strange gestures with his hands.

"Zack!" Max finally exclaims. "Would you try not to hit on Tyreesha, please?"

"Hey, come on! Why not? She's really pretty, although I have to admit there is something familiar about her," my twin says, taking a closer look at me.

My ears automatically prick up at Zack's statement. He can't be about to recognize me! He just can't! I look so different from my regular self. Then again, he is my twin… If anyone would be able to identify me regardless of a disguise, it should be Zack.

Praying he won't notice any more familiar features on me, I turn myself a bit so he can't see my face that well anymore, but he keeps looking intently at me.

"Maybe you saw someone who looks like me in a magazine?" I offer, trying to ward off the looming crisis.

"No, that's not it. Although you are sure pretty enough to be on the cover of any magazine." His eyes twinkle. "We really should get to know each other better, babe."

Babe? My god! Undoubtedly Zack is into me…this is so wrong! So gross!

But before I can react to Zack calling me his babe, one of the wizards – Officer Lamp, I think – gets up from the table like he's about to make an announcement.

"Ahem, gentlemen. This is really a delicious dinner you made for us, Tyreesha. But if you could excuse me, I'd like to know where the bathroom is."

"Oh, it's down the hall, to your right, Officer." Max points in the direction.

"Um, Tyreesha? You made this dinner?" Zack suddenly asks with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah, why? Didn't you like it?"

"No, it was awesome. One of the best meals I've ever had, in fact. But it tasted familiar somehow, like I've eaten it before." Zack's eyes are narrowing slightly. "Did you use an original recipe?"

"Um, yeah, it's an original," I mumble, afraid of the direction this is taking.

"You know, I think my twin brother made this once. I'd say you stole the recipe from him!"

"No, I…I…I…" I don't know how to get myself out of this mess right now, although I have to say, I'm a bit relieved he just thinks I stole it from myself instead of assuming something that could have worse consequences.

"Oh don't cry, 'reesha! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" Zack apologizes. "I'm sorry; I was just surprised that it tasted so much like my brother's dish." With a smirk, he adds, "Now come here, a kiss will make it all better."

Oh no! I truly have no desire whatsoever to be kissed by my own twin brother, but I am trapped. Trapped!

He's already closing the gap between our two faces, but when our lips are almost touching, he suddenly stops and just stares into my eyes intensely, as though he's trying to figure out some incredibly difficult riddle.

While Zack continues to stare at me, making me feel queasy with discomfort, Officer Lamp bursts into the room, holding something in his hand.

"Max Russo! Care to explain the meaning of this picture?" he demands, showing off a small photo of Max and my normal self. It's in fact a smaller version of the life-size painting that usually hangs in our living room, the one where we're gazing lovingly at each other.

This is definitely bad! We have to come up with something to explain this! And preferably quickly!

I look around and see that Max is ghostly pale, struggling for a solution, and Zack is still staring at me. But now his expression seems to suggest he's just had some kind of revelation.

"Cody?" Zack exclaims.

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_**Author's Notes:**__So here we are at the end of chapter 3. Max & Cody are in a very stressful situation right now. Apparently Max did indeed forget one small photo: will such a small mistake ruin their lives forever? And what to think of Zack hitting on Tyreesha? Pretty disturbing, but it seems like he finally recognized his twin. Zack will be disgusted of himself now yes, but what will he think of the whole situation? Much to answer in the next chapter!_

_I like to thank Elianna22 because as always she did an amazing job with this chapter! She really is the best! Also a thank-note for everyone who reviewed! I hope you all like this chapter too and will review! _

_Another add, where I live it's already May 17. And May 17 is actually International Day Against Homophobia. I don't__have to tell you it's a pretty important day for me and for all of us actually. Let's all act against homophobia! Posting a chapter from this story on this day gives this story another deeper meaning at once…_


	3. Zack Discovers the Truth

**Chapter 3: ****Zack Discovers the Truth

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**

Oh no! Zack recognizes me! And he just called me Cody out loud – right in front of the Wizard Council. And of course, now their eyes are all on me and Zack, trying to figure out what's going on here.

Once again, I have to think fast, but unfortunately this time I can't think of anything to explain why Zack called me Cody. The only useful action I can think to do is hustle Zack out of the dining room as soon as possible before he digs us into even deeper shit than we're already in.

So I grab Zack's arm and begin to drag him away from the table toward our bedroom, a quiet place away from the wizards where we can talk because I'm pretty sure I owe Zack an explanation.

"Um Max, I'm taking Zack to our bedroom so we can talk," I start.

"That's ok, honey." Max cuts me off with a quick, confident smile. "Go ahead; I'll take care of our guests."

I'm a bit surprised by Max's air of certainty, but it seems like he's come up with a plan to save us. Even though I'd love to know what scheme is brewing in his head, or if it even will work, I have to clear things up between me and Zack. That's more important to me right now.

As I lead Zack away from the dining room, I look back at my boyfriend to see that a grim, melancholy expression has replaced the smile. Could this be part of his plan?

"Cody?" my twin mumbles. He's still wearing the same look of shock since first recognizing me.

"Yes, it's me, bro." I push open the door to our bedroom and sit down on the bed, motioning to Zack to do the same.

"Oh my god! I'm so fucking gross! I hit on my own twin brother, I'm such a pervert!"

I put my arm around his shoulders. "Sssh Zack, you couldn't have known. It's okay, really."

"No, it's not okay, Cody. I fucking nearly kissed you!" he yells, pushing my arm away from him.

"Calm down, will you?" Now it's my time to yell and to make Zack understand this is not his fault. He can't be blamed for this hideous misunderstanding!

"Zack, listen to me for once please! It's not your fault what happened," I assure him. "You didn't know it was me. I look completely different."

Although apparently not different enough since my twin did recognize me.

He looks at me pleadingly, as if he's asking me for forgiveness. Even though he's done nothing wrong in my eyes, I smile reassuringly at him to show him I'm not angry about what almost happened between us in the dining room just now.

Zack takes a deep breath. "I guess maybe you're right, Cody. But please, let's _never_ talk about this again, okay?"

"Of course not!" I shudder at the thought of this becoming the stuff of family legend, to be told at parties for the rest of our lives. "It wasn't exactly my number one moment either, you know."

"I know and I'm sorry about that, bro. But how is it possible you're a woman now? I mean this all looks too real to be a disguise…" Zack wears a very confused expression now. "You didn't have an operation, did you?"

"Heee, no, Zack, I didn't. I'm still perfectly happy being a guy. And besides," I lecture my twin. "It's impossible to recover overnight from such invasive surgery."

"I don't even want to know." My brother cringes a bit as though he's thinking about undergoing an operation himself – to surgically remove the memory of having nearly kissed me. "But what _did_ happen then, Cody? Why is my identical twin brother suddenly a girl? It's not permanent, is it?"

"No, it won't last," I reply. "In a few hours I should be back to my normal self."

"How? How, Cody? How?"

I can feel the mystery of my transformation is really getting on Zack's nerves now, so I think I have no choice anymore but to tell him everything.

I sigh and launch into the explanation. I tell Zack about Max being a wizard, about how Max creamed his siblings in the Wizard Competition, going on to become the Russo Family Wizard, and how that led to meeting the homophobic Wizard Council and to needing to trick them to protect our relationship. And of course I also tell him about their visit today and how I became a girl.

As I tell the story, Zack gapes at me in shock, his eyes wide open. It's like he's trying to figure out if I'm telling him the truth – or I've just gone completely crazy. Yet he doesn't interrupt me once, he just keeps staring at me.

By the time I've finished explaining everything to my twin, he's still doing the same thing and honestly, it's starting to freak me out!

"Zack? What's wrong? Why don't you say something? Please?"

"Max is…a wizard?" he asks at last.

I nod. "Yeah, he's a wizard alright."

"Really? That's just impossible. There is no such thing as magic," my big brother states.

"Funny, I said the same thing years ago," I chuckle. "But you? I should think you of all people would believe this immediately. After all, you've seen proof of magic yourself tonight."

"Proof? What proof? What are you talking about, Cody?"

"Um, I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm a woman now? Or have you already blocked out that discovery?"

"No, I'm still noticing that," Zack mumbles in shame. "He did that? With magic?"

"Yeah."

"Well, yeah, okay, I guess that makes it kind of hard for me not to accept that Max is a wizard. But why didn't you tell me, Cody? Why did you keep something this big from me?" Zack looks me right in the eyes. "I mean, your boyfriend is a wizard and you couldn't even share such a major thing with your own twin brother? Do I mean that little to you?"

Oh god, how can he think that he means nothing to me? Is that the message I've been sending to Zack by keeping all of this from him? That's so not true, Zack is the most important person in my life – next to Max. He and I share the same DNA. I so have to fix this!

"Of course not, Zack! You mean so much to me! Well, in a different way than Max, of course, but still… You're my brother, my identical twin brother; of course I love you."

"Then why didn't you tell me? Don't trust me enough? Is that it?" There's a hint of sadness in Zack's voice.

"No, of course I trust you. The problem is that it's against the Wizard Council rules to tell mortals you're a wizard, so…" As I start explaining, I realize this is just a lame excuse. Max and I are already breaking a pretty big rule by being a gay couple, so I guess breaking another one shouldn't have been an issue at all.

"Actually…that's not the full truth," I sigh. It's time to confess. "But Max was afraid that if you knew, you'd ask him for magical favours all the time. Like fixing your college grades, making Bailey fall for you, having your own game room or other stuff like that."

"I would never do that!" my twin exclaims. After a pause, he adds, "Okay, maybe I would. I mean, my own game room…that would be so awesome! Who could resist that?"

"See! That's why we didn't tell you!"

"Cody, for you I wouldn't have asked Max any favours. I know how much you love Max and don't want to lose him. I never would do something that would hurt your relationship with Max and you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do know that. After all you've done for us, I probably should have known better," I admit, looking to the floor.

"Yes, you should have," Zack says. "But it's alright, you just did what you thought was best to protect your loved one." He smiles. "Now come here, I think we both could use a hug."

Zack's right; I really could use this hug. There's so much going on right now, so much at stake, all of it making me very stressed.

"You know, Cody, hugging you while you're a girl is pretty awkward." My brother says with an uneasy shrug. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this every time those guys visit you. How can they be such jerks and forbid Max to love you, just because you're both guys? That's so messed up!"

Messed up? Yeah, that should just about sum up this whole situation.

"I know. I never knew people in the wizard world could be so conservative. It's sad really."

"Sad? It's just fucked up, bro. They're a bunch of assholes if you ask me!"

"It's OK, Zack. Besides, we thought up the Tyreesha plan to fool them," I assure my angry twin. It's nice to see he's getting so worked up about this: it shows Zack really cares a lot.

"You're right; it's amazing you're standing up to them like this. I totally support you and Max for that," he proudly states. "Shit, Cody, I hope I didn't ruin the whole thing for you guys?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I answer, feeling a twinge of insecurity. "But before we left, Max seemed to have something up his sleeve."

"I hope so, for both of your sakes." Zack gives me a sympathy pat on my shoulder.

"Me too, me too," I say. "By the way Zack, what actually happened between you and Bailey? I didn't know you two broke up."

"That's a long story, bro." He pauses for a moment and then adds, "Why don't we hang out tomorrow, just the two of us? We can talk about it then, because right now we need to concentrate on getting rid of the Wizard Council."

"Yeah, you're right. It's a deal!" I confirm. "Anyway, we should get back to Max now. Max and the wizards might be wondering what's taking us so long."

So we both head to dining room, where a very quiet, serene atmosphere greets us. I had expected to walk in on a very spirited discussion about Zack and the photo of me and Max, instead everyone is finishing their dessert – a chocolate cake I baked earlier today that Max has gone ahead and served.

Before I dig into the slice waiting for me at my place at the table, I look around to try to read the expressions on the wizard's faces. They don't seem to be mad, so I assume Max's plan worked. They do, however, have sad expressions and are gazing compassionately at Zack.

Now I start to wonder what Max told them and why they're staring at Zack like that. Obviously there has to be a connection between those two facts.

"We're sorry to hear about the accident, young man," Mr. Stuffleby says as he and the other wizards finally stop staring at my twin brother.

"What accident?" Zack asks, as confused about this as I am.

Before the wizard can answer, Max speaks up.

"I'm sorry, but he can get so confused sometimes." My boyfriend shakes his head sadly. "In fact, according to the doctor, it's better if nobody mentions the accident or his brother in his presence."

"I can understand that," Mr. Stuffleby says stiffly. "I'm sorry."

Okay, something is definitely up here. I have a strange feeling my boyfriend just killed me off in the process of saving our lives together. But so far his plan seems to be working indeed. Let's just hope Zack will understand this, too, and won't say anything to wreck it.

Before I can figure out a way to warn my brother, I hear a bizarre sound coming from his direction: it's almost like he's crying out for something or someone.

"Oh, poor Cody! My poor dead Cody!" Zack sobs, wringing his hands. "Why did you have to die? Why, Cody, Why?"

After this desperate exclamation, my brother begins shedding tears uncontrollably like there's no tomorrow.

As soon as Max notices Zack crying, he jumps in and snaps in a very annoyed tone, "You see what you did? This is exactly what we were trying to avoid. Thanks, thanks a lot!"

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to…" Chancellor Tootietootie tries to apologize for all of them.

"Yeah yeah yeah," my boyfriend replies, as he puts his arm around Zack. "Now don't you cry, Zack. I know it's terrible what happened to Cody, but in time it will hurt less. He was my friend, too, you know?"

"I know… Oh Max, I'm so sorry for ruining your dinner party," my big brother weeps.

"That's alright, buddy. I understand you're still having a hard time about what happened to Cody."

By now I'm pretty curious what terrible things have apparently happened to me, but I'll have to wait until the Wizard Council has left before asking Max. I do have to admit I'm pretty proud of both my lover and my brother right now. They really are amazing when it comes to scheming and pranking. As much as they annoy me sometimes, it seems that their "skills" have saved our butts.

"Um, right, I think we'd better leave you three alone," Officer Lamps says as the four wizards get up from the table. "I would like to thank you both for your very friendly welcome."

"And the lovely dinner, Tyreesha," Chancellor Tootietootie adds with twinkling eyes.

"So, you approve of me and Tyreesha?" Max asks.

"Oh yes, we definitely approve. Although I might admit that we had our doubts when that photo showed up, after the tragic explanation, how could we not believe you?" Mr. Stuffleby flashes a quick grin and continues, "You two are a very sweet couple. Just remember the rules and don't get married, alright?"

"Don't worry, we won't," I reply, then give Max a small kiss on the cheek, thrilled that we've managed to fool the Council once again! "Come, I'll walk you to the door."

"Good. Thanks again to both of you." Professor Crumbs says. He stops at our front door and turns to the other wizards. "Actually I'd like to ask Max a few more questions. But you three gentlemen can go ahead."

The other three wizards nod briefly and walk out into the street. No doubt they'll transport themselves magically once they've rounded the corner so that we – well mainly Zack - won't be able to see.

I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about what Professor Crumbs said, though. After what the Joker just said, I thought everything was okay with the Wizard Council, so why would the Professor want to stay behind and ask more questions?

"So…nice house you have here, Max. I'm happy everything's turning out well for you now. You know I've always believed in you, even before the Wizard Competition."

"Really? Oh, thank you so much!" Max exclaims and I can tell he's delighted with this praise. After all, nobody in his family expected him to succeed in the competition.

"Oh, it's nothing," Professor Crumbs smiles. "But you can transform your boyfriend back to his normal self now, Max."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__Surprise! This story just went from 3 to 4 chapters! I felt this would work out for the better. Personally I think it worked out well, with the moment between Zack and Cody. And of course another great cliffhanger!_

_Apparently Professor Crumbs found out about Cody. Will all their hard work during dinner be in vain? And what will happen to them now? Will Max lose all of his powers and be punished? Answers will be given in Chapter 4!_

_I like to thank Elianna22 again, like always! My awesome genius editor who as always did an amazing job._


	4. Secrets Revealed

**Chapter 4:**** Secrets Revealed

* * *

**

This can't be happening! After all we've gone through the past few hours, now we seem to be caught. I doubt Max can think of another crazy scheme to get us out of this mess. No, it's over for us now. We've lost! Lost everything!

I look at Max in despair and realize he doesn't know what to do either.

"B-b-boyfriend?" he stutters. "What boyfriend?"

"This one." Professor Crumbs snaps his fingers.

Instantly I feel strange things happen to my body for the second time today. And once again I'm being transformed, but this time to my real self. Yes, I'm no longer _Tyreesha _Martin. I've changed back into _Cody _Martin.

Apparently Professor Crumbs has more wizard talents than my Max. He didn't even have to use a wand, he just snapped his fingers. And compared to when Max does the same spell, it didn't hurt at all. I hope sometime in the future Max will be as skilled a wizard as this guy is. If there's even a future for us now…

"So, I guess you must be Cody? Glad to see you're alive and well, young man."

I nod, terrified of what will follow.

"But… Professor Crumbs, h-h-how did you know?" Max looks truly defeated right now. He must be debating whether he'll have to give up either magic or me.

"Max, I know everything."

"Really? Everything?" Sounds like my boyfriend can't believe the Professor knew about us all along.

"Actually, no. But I've known about your boyfriend for a quite a long time."

"Seriously? How is that even possible? We've been so careful around adult wizards!" I exclaim. "And last time the Wizard Council visited us, they didn't see through our Tyreesha plan at all."

"Oh yes, no doubt about that, Cody. You two have been hiding your relationship from the Wizard Council very well." He gives us a small smile before continuing. "But as a matter of fact, I found out about the two of you way back when Max went to high school classes on the _S.S. Tipton_. You know, where he met _Tyreesha_."

Weird! I swear Professor Crumbs just winked at us when he mentioned Tyreesha. Could it be? Is it possible that he won't punish us?

"You were there?" Max is stunned. Neither of us had any idea that our cover had been blown so long ago.

"Yes. You remember the incident with the penguins?"

At the mention of the penguin incident, Max and I both shudder. How could we ever forget what happened with those penguins?

"When a message about a penguin on board the _S.S. Tipton_ reached the Wizard Council, I decided right away to disguise myself and check out what was going on there." The Professor chuckles. "I also knew a certain Russo was going to school there, so I was expecting weird stuff to happen. But what I saw there was a quite surprise. First of all there were no penguins to be found anymore. However, I suspected Max might have had something to do with that, and naturally I had some questions to ask, so I went looking for him. And when I found him, he appeared to be locked in a very passionate kiss with another boy."

"Yeah, that was me," I mumble and give Max a quick, loving kiss. I know this must be one of the most difficult moments of his life. The least I can do is show him that I support him, that I'm there for my lover! How could I show this better than with a kiss?

"After seeing that, I chose to ask some other students at the sea school about you and this boy you were kissing. Apparently you two were pretty famous there, so everyone knew about the gay couple, Max and Cody. And that was enough proof for me."

Okay, we're officially doomed now − Professor Crumbs _does_ know everything!

"Although I have to admit I was surprised to see a girl here tonight instead of Cody. For awhile I did believe you were straight after all, up until Tyreesha told us you two met on a cruise ship. I knew for sure 'she' was lying, which meant that you and Cody were still together and trying to fool us!"

By the time he's finished, both Max and I are fighting the urge to cry. All is lost. There is no way we can scheme ourselves out of this revelation. It's over I tell you − over!

Yet Professor Crumbs doesn't actually look furious. In fact, he appears to be wearing a supportive smile on his face. But he could just be getting ready to force Max to choose between his partner and his wizard powers − a choice no wizard should have to make!

Before speaking up, Max takes my hand in his to show the old man we belong together, that nothing can break us apart. Even in this pit of total despair, when we both know our life as we know it has ended, he wants to prove how important our love is. I don't think I've ever been more proud of my beautiful boyfriend.

"What will happen to us now, Professor?" he demands. "You can't make me leave Cody!"

"Oh god no! I won't ask that of you! In fact, nothing will happen."

"Nothing?" we both exclaim. "You're not going to punish us?"

Professor Crumbs sighs. "Of course not. Why should I punish you guys for loving each other?"

"But-but, isn't this illegal? Against the Wizard Law?"

"Yes, it is, Max. But I can't do that to you."

"Why? We're breaking the law and you're a member of the Wizard Council." After thinking the worst, my boyfriend seems unable to grasp this surprising turn of events. "Don't you have to enforce the law on us?"

"I probably should, yes, but I'm not going to."

"Okay, I don't get it either," I chime in. "I mean, I'm thrilled you won't turn Max in, but I just don't understand why."

"I have my reasons." The Professor sighs again. "Right… If you guys can keep a secret, maybe I can tell you why I'm supporting you instead of punishing you."

Max and I nod in agreement. Of course we'll keep any secret he's about to share with us. This man just told us he won't blow our cover to the Wizard Council. How could we ever betray him after that?

"Long ago I was just like you were when you met Cody: young, 16 maybe, and very much in love…with Ralph."

"Ralph? But…isn't that a boy's name?"

"Yes, it is. I'm gay, just like you…and Ralph was my boyfriend back then." This alone is enough to make us stare open-mouthed at him.

"We were so much in love, wanted to stay together forever," the Professor continues. "In fact, very much like the two of you. We had spent two wonderful years together as boyfriends until I too had to compete against my siblings to become Family Wizard."

"And they made you break up with Ralph?" Max guesses.

"That's exactly what happened. My parents forced me to choose: give up my wizard powers and go live with my mortal boyfriend. Or give up Ralph and become a great wizard." Again Professor Crumbs sighs in sadness. "At the time, being a wizard meant everything to me. I knew I couldn't give up magic. My life would have been useless without magic! I also loved Ralph very much, but… Well, to make a long story short, I chose magic instead of my boyfriend."

Upon hearing the old professor talk about giving up his boyfriend, Max puts his arms around me and plants a few tender kisses on my neck.

"Needless to say my choice hurt Ralph a lot. It hurt him so much that he told me he never wanted to see me again and he took off like that. At first I thought this was for the best and I convinced myself I'd made the right choice." Tears are forming in Professor Crumbs' eyes by now. "But soon I realized I missed Ralph too much. Nothing else mattered to me anymore, not even my powers that had once been so precious to me. It was at that moment I realized I'd made the wrong choice: I should have chosen love and not my powers."

"So you went to look for him?"

"I did, Cody. And I found Ralph, but he wasn't exactly happy to see me. Quite the opposite, he flat-out refused to talk to me."

"And so you gave up on him?"

"Of course not! I kept on trying to talk to Ralph, to ask him for forgiveness, until he finally gave in and agreed to listen. I told him I was prepared to show him how much I loved him and that I would give up everything for him, but he wouldn't believe me. He said I'd hurt him so badly and so deeply that he could never trust me again. Then he turned his back on me and left."

"Oh Professor, I feel so bad for you! I never knew…" Max exclaims. "I guess you never saw him again?"

"Not exactly. When Ralph was walking away from me − from his old life − I hadn't noticed he was walking onto a bridge. He stopped right in the middle, looked me in the eyes and…jumped."

Max and I are speechless. It's such a heart-breaking story: I can't believe Professor Crumbs had to go through that much agony.

"He died almost instantly. Ralph would rather die than to live with the pain I caused him." At this point the old man is sobbing outright. I guess old wounds like these can never fully heal.

"I could never forgive myself for what happened. After all, it was me who made the wrong choice and drove the love of my life to killing himself. Devastated as I was, I buried myself in magic, the only thing I had left, learning as many spells as I could. I was determined to become greatest wizard ever but I've never been able to love anyone again. Ralph was my one true love, there never was and never will be anyone else."

By the time he's finished with his story we're both blinking away tears. How could we have expected to hear such a tragic story? Poor Professor Crumbs!

"When I saw you and Cody on that cruise ship, right away I recognized myself and Ralph in you two. And I knew soon you would have to go through the same ordeal as I had to: choosing between magic and true love. There was no way the homophobic Wizard Council would accept Cody as your life partner. Nothing would change their minds: you were doomed to choose, just like I was."

Professor Crumbs wipes his eyes with a handkerchief. "At least you had the guts to do what I never could. You actually thought up a scheme to fool the Council so that you and your boyfriend could stay together and you could still be a full wizard. Such a great plan, Ralph would have loved it. So of course you guys have my support. You can't let them get to you like they got to me!"

Finally everything that happened tonight is starting to make sense. This must be why Professor Crumbs' piercing stare gave me the creeps. He wasn't trying to trick us into giving away our secret. No, I think he was actually trying to make sure the other wizards didn't pick up on us as well. I guess we really owe a lot to the old Professor.

I feel really badly for him, though. I can't imagine what he had to go through by losing his boyfriend twice. First thanks to the homophobic Wizard Council and a second time to guilt. It must be terrible for the old man to live with such gut-wrenching guilt. No wonder he's never been able love anyone else after what happened with Ralph.

All of this makes me realize that Max and I really are lucky that we still can be together, thanks to the brilliant Tyreesha plan. I can't imagine what our lives would be like if the Wizard Council enforced a break-up on us, if we would ever get over each other. Those guys can genuinely destroy a person's soul. They are the ones responsible for Ralph's death and Professor Crumbs' pain, not the Professor himself.

That doesn't help him now, though. For him everything was lost decades ago.

Max puts his arm sympathetically around the Professor. Ever since we started dating, Max has become much more sensitive to people crying. Maybe that's my influence?

"I'm sorry," apologizes Professor, slightly shame-faced. "I guess my emotions got the best of me. I should be leaving now anyway. There is a place I need to see right now."

The Wizard Council member must want to go to the place where his boyfriend lies, forever. It's obvious he needs some time alone now.

"That's alright, Professor," Max says. "Thanks again for keeping Cody and me a secret from the Wizard Council. And thank you for you support, that really means a lot for us."

Before the old wizard steps out of the door, he turns around to us to give us one last piece of advice.

"Don't make the same mistake I did, Max. Never put anything above Cody and hold on to him. He really loves you."

"Don't worry, Professor, I know he does. Nothing in my life will ever be more important than Cody."

I guess that was what Professor needed to hear, because he smiles a small, confident smile and leaves for his boyfriend's final resting place.

And for us it's time to return to my twin brother who has been waiting for us in our living room all this time, playing videogames, apparently.

"Zack! You didn't break my high score, did you?" I exclaim when I see him playing our favourite game.

"You know, Cody, it's hard not to beat your score. A six-year-old could do that," Zack chuckles. "Hee, you're you again, bro!"

"Yep, I got transformed again. Much better, don't you think?"

"Definitely! The image of you as a girl was way too disturbing for me."

"Yeah, well I was the one who actually had to _be_ a girl. That's much worse." Suddenly I see Max suspiciously staring at us. "Oh my god, honey! I couldn't help it, but I had to tell Zack about you being a wizard. I'm so sorry!"

"I figured as much. But don't worry, Cody. It's OK. He is your twin brother after all. And I'm sure Zack can keep a secret and won't go asking for all kinds of magic favours, right, Zack?"

"Of course not! I promised Cody I wouldn't bother you with that, buddy," My brother says as he slings an arm around my boyfriend in a friendly hug.

"But hey, it's getting late, I should be going. You still on for tomorrow, Cody?"

"Sure thing. Around eleven at your apartment?"

"More like elevenish, if that's OK with you?"

"Yeah, that's alright. See you tomorrow!"

With Zack's departure, the last guest from tonight's dinner "party" has finally left our house. For Max, that's the sign to take me into his arms and brush his lips over mine in a series of sweet kisses. I really love it when he does that. These small moments with Max always feel like the most caring ones. And I just love the closeness of our bodies of course.

"So, what was that all about? You're not gonna be home tomorrow, sweetie?"

"No, Zack said he needs to talk to me. About Bailey I guess." I sigh and hope Zack hasn't ruined his future with Bailey. They are such a good couple, after all. Smart, sensible Bailey is exactly the kind of girl my mischievous twin brother needs. "I hope you're not mad that he didn't ask you to come along?"

"Of course not. Twins, eh?" He winks at me.

"You know, I can't believe we managed to survive tonight unscathed," I marvel.

"I know! When Crumbs called me your boyfriend I thought we were doomed for sure!" Max wipes away a tear. "But what he told us about him and his boyfriend was really heart wrenching. It's so sad he had to go through that!"

"Yeah…I hope that will never happen to us."

"It won't. I won't let anyone hurt you!" My lover kisses my cheek tenderly to illustrate his statement.

"Really? I was under the impression you'd killed me off during dinner," I smirk.

"Hmm, sorry about that. I had to think really fast and that was the only possible explanation I could think of."

"It's alright, Maxie. I'm dying to hear what you told the wizards, though!"

"Funny you should say that, Cody. But are you sure? It's not a pretty story at all."

"I know, but still…I want to know how my genius boyfriend saved us," I explain, returning the kiss.

"Alright then. It was a dark November night and you were in one of the more dangerous parts of Boston, tutoring underprivileged children. That night Zack was going to pick you up in his truck, so you two could go to a party together."

I have to say I like the idea of tutoring underprivileged children: it's so me!

"But when you walked out of the building to Zack's truck, you suddenly got hit by a random gunshot. You know in those parts of Boston gunfights break out a lot."

I nod.

"Anyway, Zack saw the whole thing happening right in front of him. He ran straight to you and tried to stop the bleeding. Sadly enough it was too late for that. There was nothing Zack could do and you died in his arms."

"That's terrible! Poor Zack!"

"Yeah, he suffered a lot after your death, ending up traumatized for the rest of his life. And that's the reason Zack was so confused and mixed up Tyreesha with his poor dead brother Cody."

"That was so sad!" In fact, I'm trying to stop myself from tearing up. I guess it's a bit silly to cry over a fake death story about yourself. "It does explain why the four wizards were so quiet when we returned and why they were staring at Zack like that. You really are brilliant, Max! I never would have thought of such a thing."

I have to admit I'm more than a little proud of my boyfriend! He can adapt to any situation and step up to save the day. It's thanks to that quality that he won the Wizard Competition.

Before I can heap more compliments on my amazing boyfriend, he pulls me in for a very passionate kiss − the kiss we were supposed to have hours ago is finally happening.

"Oh god, Max! I love you so much!" I pull away to look at his face. "I'm so glad we managed to fool those crusty old homophobes again. I wouldn't know what to do without you!"

"Me neither, Cody. Without you my life would be so empty! Now get back here and kiss me, gorgeous!"

"Mmmh, Max, I think you should give me my birthday present again," I say with seductive eyes as I see Max's pop in eagerness.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **__After 4 chapters we reached the end of this story. Only 1 more than planned this time! This chapter is indeed a bit sadder than the previous 3, but life isn't full of just funny stuff._

_I have a quick note concerning Professor Crumbs. As many of you know, he is based on Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter. For this AU I chose to make them even more alike by making Crumbs gay and losing his boyfriend. Just like Dumbledore… _

_The next story I'll be writing will be the 3__rd__ story in this AU about Max & Cody as a couple. I can't give away much, but the story will go further where this one left off. Be on the lookout for it somewhere in the near future._

_And I want to end this A/N with thanking an amazing person: a very nice girl and a very good editor/proofreader: Elianna22. Thank you, Ellie!_


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